After the game
by anononymas
Summary: " you love her draco? spare her life then". with that draco malfoy closed his eyes " iam sorry" he said in thin air, join hermione and draco for a journey with heartbreaks and betrayed souls , will they ever find love?


Disclaimer: all harry potter books and movies belong to J.k rowling and Warner bros.

" _I will kill her" her eyes looked sharply in his steely grey , daring him to disagree, daring him to do stop it, she know he is terrified, because he loves her._

It has been 10 years to this day , 10 years since all hell broke loose, 10 years when their worlds clashed and shattered before their very eyes, 10 years since he left her , in her white dress, all alone.

Hermione granger likes to revisit past, good or bad , she makes sure she never forgets it, she takes measures which tells her who she was and where she came from, how her life changed between the courses of past and present. But one memory , one god forsaken memory comes to her mind as she is standing here, she hates it, she didn't want to revisit this past , this past hurt her like slice of glass ripped in your heart, she will always hate this memory, she didn't mean to come, but she came anyway, like I said before she takes measures.

But what exactly measures could she take? She doesn't understand this, this is like heavily impossible question of ancient runes if you ask her, she thinks what could have happened if it was other way around, how her life would have been if it really happened, but what is real is bitter. It's always bitter.

Behind her in a black hoodie , there is someone else , someone whose memory pained as much hers does, he followed her , he is not a stalker, he just followed her today.

With his white blond hair hidden , his grey eyes take upon the form of brown haired witch. He knows what happened this day, he could never ever forget it. This day haunted him in nights more than nightmares of Voldemort. Her face, full of disappointment, the tears which were about to shed but refused to come. At that moment Draco Malfoy never loathed himself than he ever did.

He clearly remembers this place, because this was same place they picked together, away from wizarding world, away from the ugliness of war, away from their rules and principals, away from their prejudiced friends and families. Away to be themselves, to be Draco and Hermione, not Malfoy and Granger.

He walks quietly into the bench, she is looking at lake, with hues of purple sparkling in water, he knew he has to tell her, he always wanted to, but he was afraid, afraid of her reaction, afraid of outcomes, most of all afraid _for _ her.

She must have sensed he has come, because she doesn't look up and says "If you must stand , go stand to the other side and spare me seeing your face".

He is in shock for a moment.

"How …how did you know?" Draco asked flabbergasted.

"You were never good with that lurking , you make lot of noise when you are nervous , your feet basically drag you unwillingly " she said while looking at the lake.

That Draco knew, Hermione has been smart enough to know about his weakest moments and strongest ,why shouldn't she , he has been following her since sixth year, because that's where it started , that's when his world collided and became a blur, Hermione helped to see, helped to understand, made his dark world into light.

He sat beside her, while she tensed and looked forward with her nose in the air, he knows this wouldn't be easy, but he has things to say and she has right to know.

" why are you here Hermione?" he asked while watching her.

" I don't know , I just came "

" I don't know too, but I had to come".

" I didn't ask"

" I know, I wanted to come".

Fury boiled over Hermione granger, who does he thinks he is? He can't just sit here and tell her he wanted to come. She didn't ask. Why is he anyways?.

She looks at him for frist time in ten years. She has been doing an amazing job of ignoring him, but right now on this day , when her world became a dream to far to reach, ignoring him wasn't option.

She looks at him, his white blond hair shined under the moonlight, his eyes which never showed any emotion expect when he told her about how much he loved her, showed vast of different emotions , she couldn't figure it out. She always figured draco malfoy out, he was easy to read , only because she was easy to read as well.

" I have answers" draco spoke , he didn't looked at her but rather look at the lake than her , to this Hermione narrowed her eyes, this was the frist time he ever spoken about this day, other days he wouldn't look at you rather than speak .

Draco licked his upper lip, and nervously clenched his fingers into knuckle. He was terrified , he faced many things in his past, deaths and tortures was nothing compared to 20 year old hermione's sobs of betrayal that seem to keep him awake most nights.

" I don't want any" Hermione spoke all of sudden. She knows what happened. She heard what happened. Merlin she _saw _what happened.

" you don't know anything" draco spoke while fumbling with his hand. His wand was sticky with sweat.

" I know allright, you were too kind to let me know, what I really want to know draco is ,was it worth it?". This time Hermione wanted to humiliate draco malfoy, just like he did to her.

Draco couldn't look at her, he knew what she was doing , he knew she was angry, frustrated and she would wanted to hurt him as he hurt her.

" ANSWER ME!". Hermione's self control broke when he refused to look at her, she wouldn't let him get away that easy .

He still didn't answer.

" ANSWER ME GOD DAMN IT , PLEASE JUST ANSWER ME !" at this point hermione's dams of control broke, she broke in one sodding moment, she was hard rock since it begun but now she couldn't , she hated herself so much for getting weak. She could have done this more efficiently but seeing his face, this place overwhelmed her.

Tears leaked silently from draco malfoy's eyes to his chin. Her sobs, her tears were only thing which could break him, he has been pretending far too long, those fake smiles are nothing expect telling lies through teeth.

His hand went over her shoulder, he was afraid of her rejection but when she didn't winced he moved her broken form to his chest.

She sobbed all way through, the pain was unbearable. She knew she wasn't supposed to lean into his chest and sob, but they were two broken soul, damaged beyond repair, they had to rely on each other in this moment.

" I hate you" was all she could say, her gut wrenching sobs . He has to say something.

" no it wasn't worth it, none of it were".

Hermione still sobbed.

" did you hear me granger ? I said no , it wasn't , I was a fool and coward , I should have not done this to you but I had to , there was a choice".he spoke urgently.

At this Hermione jerked away, she grabbed his face and tried to read what he just said , she never heard _that_ before, all she heard was pitiful excuses .

" what choice Malfoy?" . her tongue nearly spat out the venom.

" it was a choice , I was given a choice". He spoke while his eyes averted to the ground.

" then what was it Malfoy? Who was it ? was it your father, your mother, your friends? Tell me please!"

She desperately clutched his face, never letting it go, but draco hated himself. He didn't consider himself worthy of her touch, he took her hands off his face and stood up.

" no it was not my father nor my mother nor my friends" he spoke quietly while still looking at the ground.

" my friends? Ron?"

He shook his head.

" then who draco ? who? Who could possibly give you choice other than them ?".

He turned his face to meet her gaze.

Now 30 year old granger resembled like 20 year old Hermione he left, broken and shattered.

" my wife".

At frist few moments he spoke so softly that Hermione had to catch that, and when she caught she went rigid , pale, almost like statue, she didn't speak or did anything just stood .

"I wanted to marry you granger, I know I love you and I always be, I wanted to come granger, tell you truth but couldn't , your life was in great danger, and she knew , she figured out".

At this Hermione went over and a sharp slap could be heard from far.

The red imprinted his cheek was a proof that she didn't believed him. She hated him for doing this, hated him for leaving all alone in this place in her white dress with parchment full of fake excuses and apologies. Telling her he won't come, won't marry her.

Yes it was their wedding day, along the road with war going on Hermione fell in love with draco malfoy. She never knew the exact moment but she knew, and that was enough, and soon he told her how he felt , he also fell in love with her , but that was a lie, fake, bogus.

" I don't believe you , you bastard! . you left me and never came back , you married and moved on while I wallowed in the pain , your pain, our child's pain".

At this draco's head snapped faster than he ever imagined. His child? What , when?

" my child?" he spoke softly.

" yes you idiot , your child ! I didn't knew either but since after our " supposed" wedding I found out I was pregnant".

She must have aborted it, he knew, Hermione wouldn't keep painful reminders by him, she must have be done with it.

But that just showed him red, why didn't she told him?

At this he rushed forward and jerked her shoulders.

" you aborted it? Tell me granger did you do it ?, because I would know if he was born , I would have saw him! Screw you granger!".

Then a tinge of another slap imprinted his left cheek, Hermione pushed him and he jerked into handful of mud. he tried to get up just to meet granger's wand into his neck.

" take it back" she spoke venomly.

" I won't if you tell me the truth". He spat back

" like the hell It changes , do you think you could have came if _she _was born? I would have taken her away from you and you would never ever noticed that she exist At this Draco couldn't believe his ears. He was having a little girl? She didn't got rid of it? He has a girl now?

" where is my daughter?" he spoke hoarsely.

" why did you left?"

" I will tell you when you tell me the whereabouts of my little girl".

At this Hermione went still, she went so still that she became a still form of ivory, she has to explain this to him. But no words can tell how she felt.

" Hermione?" Draco begun slowly.

" she never came" it was all she could say .

" what do you mean she never came?". He asked desperately. Praying to higher power to make this a dream.

" she died draco ".

Draco blinked several times. What was Hermione saying ? his daughter died?

" how...

"I don't know,I went one day and found out there was no heartbeat, no amount of magic or muggle can bring it back , the doctors were confused as well they had to perform an operation to get her out. Our daughter Draco , she was bueatiful but I didn't get to hold her, she was there one second and gone in another".

At this point draco malfoy 's tears came rapidly, angry , frustrated, he had Hermione , he left her, he nearly had a child who died without his knowledge.

He cursed himself, cursed of being a malfoy, cursed for putting Hermione into so much pain.

He touched her hand softly , wiped tears of her face, this is what he could now, having lost everything all the hope was thrown in the window.

" what did you name her?" he asked softly.

"Rosie"

" just like her mum"

She smiled softly, while tears still leaked.

" hermione I know I can't undo the past, I wish I could go back and start again , but I can't, I can buy thousands of time turners to make it right, maybe if I hadn't left we would have our little girl , rosie could be here , blond and brown eyes, or brown eyes or grey eyes. She would have been here , its all my fault !".

At this Hermione couldn't take it any more, she wanted to know , for her sake, for Rosie's sake.

" why did you go?"

" I will show you , if you come with me" he held her hand and for second time in her life Hermione blindly trusted this man, he was the father of a daughter he never knew, his daughter died without him knowing about it. She owed to listen to him. And he owed her answers.

The side along apparition took them to Malfoy study area. It was dark and a fire lit to life the moment their feet touch the ground.

There was a large pensive on her left, exactly why draco had pensive , she didn't know.

Draco seemed to forming a silvery thread from his head to his want, he tapped it twice and urged Hermione to go forward with him following next.

This is it , this is the moment she will know, she seemed to scared to go so she held to him when they went.

_She could see a 19 year old Draco malfoy , packing his robes in his school trunk, he was packing very fast, he kept glancing at the door, while packing his winter robes, he packed his and her wedding rings , he was packing the sweater she made for him , he was running away from his home to join her, just like she ran away to join him._

_There was knock and Draco shrunked his trunk into a tiny size and hid in his pocket. He kept wiping his hands off and reaching for the door. A blonde girl could be seen in front of the door. Her black cocktail dress shimmered in the candle lights. She had a drink in her hands._

_Her green eyes sized Draco and allowed herself in. draco seemed to be finding this annoying ._

" _Aostria what are you doing here?".he asked through his gritted teeth._

" _you do realize this is our engagement party Draco and you ran away right after your mother made the announcement , one would find this rude to leave your bride hanging there".she smiled like viper._

" _one would find this rude , following people and butting their noses where they have no reasons too". Draco hid his shrunken trunk away from her view._

" _oh but I do sweetie, I do have a good reason". She pushed his hair back while drinking deeply from her goblet._

" _get out of my room!" draco hissed._

" _nah , you can't be throwing me out of our room draco , how very rude". She smiled more._

" _Aostria I mean it , I will make you leave this room if you not"._

" _then my darling consequences wouldn't be as good, who knows where your mudblood would have ended if you throw me out".she said while smiling and fingering her wand._

_Draco spun around. Aostria mentioned Hermione, was it possible she knew?_

_He tried to act as if he didn't know. Surely he can fool her and lead a false trail._

" _what are you talking about?" . he asked innocently._

" _oh draco come of it, you know what iam saying, you and me and her , don't act stupid "._

" _I still don't get it"._

" _I know draco malfoy, I know, I know for a fact that you have been seeing mudblood behind my back, that you didn't want to marry me , you wanted to be with her, I saw you with her during the war and trial , you really think iam stupid ? that I won't know? I made sure of everything. I followed you and her, one glance draco and you are pathetic as that oaf called hagrid"._

_Draco's insides were boiling, he wanted to snap Aostria Greengrass 's neck , burn her to ashes._

" _if you knew all along , why confide now? What do you want ? how much galleons will take to you to keep your mouth shut?". He begun to write a check._

" _ah money , that's what you malfoys are famous for, bribe. But don't worry draco iam not here for your money I have plenty of my own" she said snidely._

_Draco let out frustrated groan. _

" _then what do you want?" he asked through his teeth._

_Aostria finished her drink and sat down, she looked at his face and smiled even more._

" _you"._

" _me?"_

" _yup you , you see draco, even though you are pathetic little arse we all know, you are a malfoy, and do you know how much malfoys are famous ". She indicated the room._

" _that I can't provide you , I won't be with you and I certainly would not marry you".draco spoke in tone of finalty._

" _oh but draco, even if you do went to mudblood , you will miss this life". _

" _I won't , thankyou very much"._

" _watch it draco , don't test my patience, you knew you were betrothed to me since our births, and there is no getting out of it, the malfoy and greengrass line will be pure not tainted by some filthy mudblood." She jabbed the wand in his chest._

" _and what are you going to do once iam with her? Kill me? Go on and go ahead, then you can kiss your dreams goodbye too, as for malfoy and greengrass , let's say its already tainted enough". He smirked and dodged her wand._

"_you filthy blood traitor ! you will pay for this!"_

" _then please make me pay, tell my parents , yell to the world, for I will only love Hermione granger and no one else"._

" _what if Hermione granger cease to exist?" Aostria spoke coldly , while playing with her wand._

_At this draco stood in shock, he let the words in, he couldn't believe this girl. _

"_you wouldn't"._

" _I would and I could"._

"_I wouldn't let you"_

" _then don't tempt me"._

" _you wouldn't do that" draco scoffed._

" _really ,then who told Ronald weasley's ear that granger was cheating on him with you? Who became friends with ginny potter just to make Hermione granger shunned from her friends? Potter sided with them ofcourse".she gave him a smug smirk._

" _you did that ? you made Hermione look bad in front of her friends? You spit lies about her to her friends?"draco asked in small voice._

" _it was all me"._

" _screw you bitch!" _

"_then again if I can do that , then think of possibility of me killing her, its easy". She hissed._

" _you can't do that , you won't , you would not want your hands getting dirty". Draco couldn't help but tremble._

" _oh its not me , it will be someone else ofcourse"._

_Draco closed his eyes._

_Aostria spoke again, " you love her draco ? spare her life then"._

_At this his eyes snapped open, he was a coward , he couldn't believe it, he didn't want to do this, but its her, she will be killed, and right now Aostria greengrass how evil she can be._

" _iam so sorry" he spoke in thin air, his eyes shedding tears. _

_Aostria smiled and lead him to his study where fresh parchment and ink was waiting for him._

They felt a tugging motions and both Hermione and draco found themselves in the study again. Hermione sat on the floor her hand cluctched in her mouth.

" after that night, she became more violent. That letter was only contact I could send you, I wanted to keep you safe , safe from her claws, she could easily kill you , I was…..trying to protect you" he spoke quietly.

" why didn't you say anything?".

" I didn't had a choice , iam sorry".

Hermione couldn't fathom , he protected her, he threw away his one chance of freedom to be with her to protect her, if he could have , she would have been dead.

She covered her hands in his, holding on to him tightly. When a voice breaks between them.

" how lovely , you two are having reunion and didn't invite me?". The sickly sweet voice could been heard.

_Please review _


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